Image: John Pearson.

A pair of valuable victories in the E1 category at Coonalpyn’s eighth and ninth rounds of the 2019 Yamaha Australian Off-Road Championship (AORC) marked a return to form for Luke Styke, the reigning champion admitting he endured difficulties at the previous two stops.

The Active8 Yamaha Yamalube Racing rider rode dominantly across the rounds in South Australia, finishing fourth in the unofficial outright classification on Saturday before promoting himself to third on Sunday.

The former motocross and supercross champion boosted his title chances by claiming wins in the E1 class on both days, stretching his championship advantage to 16 points over Lyndon Snodgrass (KTM Enduro Racing Team) as just two rounds remain.

“After a couple of ordinary rounds for me, it was good to get back on top of things and ride the way I should,” Styke explained. “I struggled a bit at Kyogle and Broken Hill, but I felt good all weekend and I love riding in these kinds of conditions.

“The bike was strong all weekend and I had a clean run with no major issues, so I leave here healthy, fit and confident to keep the momentum going into the final two rounds. Thanks to the team for all the hard work – we will keep it going all the way to the end as anything can happen in this sport.”

The AORC now heads to Hedley in Victoria on 14-15 September for the final two rounds of the series.